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The Stewart Commonality was founded as an independent nation in 2259.[1] The Commonality consisted of 5 systems in 2271[2] and had grown to 6 worlds by 2293.[3] In 2293 the Commonality was a dictatorship ruled by a single person, David Genovese, who had taken control of the ramshackle state in 2288 at a point when it was impoverished and declining, barely able to order parts to support basic factory equipment; Genovese had used his rule to "make the trains run on time", making significant improvements to the running of the various worlds that saw agricultural output increase and communications streamlined.[4]

Genovese's success at making the Stewart Commonality a working dictatorship led to him refusing an invitation to join the Free Worlds League. In response, the League invaded. Genovese was surprised that the fractious League mustered a military, much less an invasion, and Stewart lost the four-month Stewart War[5][6] due to his insistence on commanding all of his troops directly, despite his indifferent abilities as a military strategist.[4] The Commonality became a province of the League by a 2295 Act of Parliament.[7]

The Stewarts became inextricably linked with House Marik in 2998, when Captain-General Janos Marik married Ana Stewart. Earl Androcles Stewart attempted to use this arrangement to enlarge to enlarge the Commonality by the worlds, but backed down when faced with resistance from the worlds' Members of Parliament.[10][11]

After the Free Worlds League disbanded in 3078, the Stewart Commonality split. Some worlds became a part of the Republic of the Sphere, while others joined the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth.[12]

When the Stewart Commonality was annexed, the new Free Worlds League province was allowed to send nine representatives to Parliament.[7] The total number of MPs continually increased and Stewart sent double that number, eighteen, in 3025.[13]

The ruling line of the Stewart Commonality was House Stewart and the figurehead of provincial government held the title "Earl". Parliament offered to "promote" the Stewarts in 2406, but Earl Nathan Stewart refused, stating that "Earl" was "good enough", which led to the nickname of "Gudano" for the Stewart leader.[14][15]

The Commonality, much like the League as a whole, is a representative democracy.[16][17] The capital of the Commonality is Stewart.